Pesticides in Small Agricultural Catchments in the Czech Republic

Generally, pesticides are the products containing at least one chemical substance which should protect plant or plant products against pests/diseases. Among them, the most important ones are herbicides, followed by insecti-cides and fungicides. As a result of intensive agriculture techniques, large amounts of pesticides are applied on agricultural soil. They remain and degrade in soil, but they can enter water bodies and negatively affect water quality and the aquatic ecosystem. The article deals with the level of pesticide load in soil, bottom sediment and surface water in chosen agriculture catchments in the Czech Republic. Results revealed that the main general problem is glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA, although their application has been constrained for several years. Furthermore, the difference in contents of chosen parent pesticide substances and their metabolites in soils and waters were pointed out.